Incentives2Quit is a virtual motivational interviewing-grounded incentive-based treatment. It is a state-of-the-science program that helps to sustain motivation and successfully quit smoking. The program includes monetary incentives that reinforce biologically-verified cessation (via breath CO measures) while simultaneously building intrinsic motivation and skills to maintain long-term tobacco cessation. 

Incentives2Quit is an effective motivational and incentive-based treatment, established during our previous pilot demonstration project among Medicaid beneficiaries.1

The diagram above represents the conceptual model of Incentives2Quit. The program has four key components that reinforce a person’s internal and external motivations to change their smoking behaviors. We target biologically-verified abstinence from combustible tobacco, and engagement with the program app and the MI Tobacco Quitlink. These target behaviors are incentivized through extrinsic rewards (i.e., money) and intrinsic rewards (i.e., personalized motivational messages). Together, the target behaviors and rewards lead to reinforcement of behavior change and smoking cessation.

References:

1. Tomlinson, D.C., Bonar, E.E., Zimmermann, L., Fernandez, A., Tzilos Wernette, G., Nahum-Shani, I., Coughlin, L.N. An Incentive-Based Mobile Health Program for Smoking Cessation in Low-Resource Populations with a Pilot Micro-Randomized Trial. (Under review).

• Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States and Michigan.1

• If no one smoked cigarettes, 1 of every 3 cancer-related deaths in the United States would not happen.1

• Cigarette smoking is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States every year.1

• Smoking causes an increase in blood pressure, leading to an increased risk of stroke and coronary artery disease.1

• 24.5% of Medicaid recipients smoke cigarettes nationwide compared to 14% of the general population.2

• In Michigan, 41.3% of Medicaid recipients smoke compared to 19.3% of the general population.2

• Nationally, Medicaid could save $2.6 billion in 1 year if 1% of beneficiaries stopped smoking.2

In summary, quitting smoking is the single best health behavior change to improve quality of life and length of life.

References:

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, October 29). Health effects of cigarette smoking. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/(link is external)

2. Glantz, S. A. 2019. “Estimation of 1-Year Changes in Medicaid Expenditures Associated with Reducing Cigarette Smoking Prevalence by 1%.” JAMA Network Open. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/article-abstract/2730483(link is external).

Email: Incentives2Quit@med.umich.edu

Phone: 734-210-7655

Primary Investigator: Lara Coughlin, PhD

Program Coordinators: Natalie Bayrakdarian, B.S. and Chelsea Wilkins, LMSW

Address:
2800 Plymouth Road, Building 16, Room 208E, Ann Arbor, MI 48105

Associated Websites:

• Incentives2Quit.org

• Michigan Innovations in Addiction Care through Research and Education (MI-ACRE)